Legislature approves tax credit for volunteer firefighters, EMT’s

The Iowa legislature has voted to grant volunteer emergency medical technicians and volunteer firefighters a small state income tax credit. The bill cleared the Senate unanimously late last month and the House approved it today.

Representative Brian Moore, a Republican from Zwingle, says the credit would be worth $50 for a full-year of volunteer service. “This is something that I think is a starting point,” Moore says. “It’s a nice pledge to our volunteers.”

Representative Dave Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville, agrees. “We have thousands, I mean thousands of Iowans who volunteer on our fire departments and our emergency medical services and I think a $50 tax credit is the least we can do,” Jacoby says.

The bill now goes to Governor Branstad for his consideration. Today, by the way, is the last scheduled day of the 2012 legislative session and the final day on which lawmakers will get daily expense money.

The Senate spent its entire morning saying good-bye to retiring Republican senators, while the House passed one bill.